School-itis

 

I have a dear cousin who is older than I am.  Carol was just starting school when she realized that it wasn’t that much fun.  So, on the morning of her second day of school, she complained about not feeling well, and Carol got to stay home from school.  That was nice!  Soon after the school bus went by, she perked right up.  The third morning, she didn’t feel well again.  But her parents were now aware of her sickness: it was called “school-itis”.  After the school bus went by and she began to feel better, they said, “You are so much better now, you should be able to go to school,” and put her into the car and drove her to school.  Carol never had school-itis again.  Hey, how often do we complain about something and blow it up bigger than it is simply to put off the unpleasant job.  But putting off an unpleasant job doesn’t make it any easier.  The job still has to be done, but now it is compounded by being late too!  Why not just shoulder our responsibility and get the job done?!  The writer of the book of Hebrews reminds us that unpleasant things often have productive results.  Hebrews 12:11, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”  No one likes correction, but everyone likes the sweet cooperation that correction brings.  Hey, when you have an unpleasant task to do today, don’t put it off.  Jump right on it and get it done first!  You’ll be glad that you did.